The Washington critic., 1887-08-09
THE "DANoEnous GLASSES"

Mr.. Powderly talks about the dan.
gerous classes in this country as
though there were nothing of the kind
in existence excepting in the timid
fears of the rich. lie proceeds upon
the assumption that 1t is the working
men who are thus stigmelzed, and
rushos to their rescue in the following
vehement style:
when has this c'ass proved 10 lie a niger.
ous element Has r. ever proved dangerous
TO this Ropuhicy In times or trouble who
shoulders his mu-kot ani rt.hes forth to
battle Tor God and homa ami native land >"
II to day the President should IL uc u call for
defenders OF the Guvornm mt, hat class OF
men would 20 forth rrspousi otto the trumpet
cali Would It be- The merchant from his
counting-room, the manufacturer from Ms
looms, the lawyer from his brief the banker
from his bonds 5-uot these; but the labOrer,
the farmer from his plough, the mechanic
from his shop the miner from his pit the
laborer in every vocation These are the de.
Tenders, the protectors Of the Idle rich, and
while such rrato Of the dangerous class In
their hearts they know thnt none are more
loyal, none more de, oied to lhc welfare, the
ionor OF our country.
But doesn't man of Mr. Powderly's
good sense know better than to
allude in this way to the worklngmen
Of this country? They are not the
dangerous classes in the generally
accepted understanding of the term.
The workingmen need no such defense
or vindication. Nobody believes them
to be dangerous. They are not so
considered, and there is lack of sin
oerity in these remarks of Mr. Powderly
which we regret to see. He is certainly
aware that many of the foreign.born
citizens of the country entertain views
Of free government with which the
great mass of workingmen have no
sympathy. He must also be aware that
IL the men who hold these views had
the courage or ability to carry them
out they would prove great source OF
danger TO American institutions and
the peace of society. Why does he
Ignore these "classes" ard affect to be-
lieve that there Is no such element to
be guarded against
The laborers, farmers, miners and
mechanics whose industry goes so far
towards sustaining the strength of our
institutions and developing our ma.
terial esources-whose sturdy aid can
always be depended on TO maintain the
Government, and with whom no other
body of working people in the worlds
history can for a moment stand com.
parison-are not and never have been
set down as conspirators against the
public peace, even by the great cor.
porations and monopolles of the land.
Mr.. Powderly deals in falicies when
he thus attempts to pooh pooh the real
source Of danger, OF which he is too
Intelligent man not to know the eX.
istence.
lie Is well aware that when the cry
goes up from every section Of the Union
for restriction Of the evils Of immi.
grafton and for the incorporation into
our national legislation of the princi.
pie Of Home Rule for America, the
movement is not directed against the
sturdy and honest ranks Of labor, but
against that particular class of
foreign immigrants who come here
with crude and revolutionary ideas
of liberty, and whose sole pur-
pose In coming seems to be to upset the
existing order of things and substitute
their own communistic ideas of govern.
ment for those that have been built up
and tested under the Federal Constitu.
\ tion. These classes exist In large mum.
bers in New York, In Cincinnati, in
Chicago, In Milwaukee, in all chief
centres Of population, and Mr.. Powderly
knows very well that 1t is only the
strong arm of the law that holds them
In subjection.